– USA, MI – La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE: LZB), a global leader in residential furniture, today announced the appointment of CFO Melinda Whittington to its Board of Directors as President and CEO, effective on April 25, 2021, succeeding Kurt Darrow who will retire from his positions as CEO but will remain, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Bob Lucian, VP, Finance, will succeed Melinda Whittington in the role of CFO.
Kurt Darrow commented: “On behalf of our Board of Directors, it is with great pleasure that we appoint Melinda as our next CEO. Her more than 30 years’ experience, including extensive consumer products expertise, proven capability in operational and financial matters, strategic vision, and sharp focus, will guide the company forward as the landscape for home furnishings continues to evolve. It is the right time for Melinda to take the helm. Her strategic acumen and demonstrated leadership skills position her to successfully lead La-Z-Boy to and through its next chapter of growth. The company is in excellent shape and, as I step away from the day-to-day operations, I have every confidence Melinda and our top-tier leadership team will leverage the many opportunities that lie ahead for La-Z-Boy.”
Alan McCollough, Lead Director of the Board, said: “Kurt has made a significant impact on La-Z-Boy Incorporated. During his tenure as CEO, he strengthened the La-Z-Boy brand, honed the company’s portfolio, championed and evolved the company’s integrated-retail strategy, and entered the company into the e-commerce arena. Kurt’s vision for the future helped transform La-Z-Boy’s global supply chain into a value-creating asset and set the company on a course for continued growth and profitability. Kurt led the company through two of the most challenging times in its history, the Great Recession and, more recently, through uncharted territory resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic. La-Z-Boy was fortunate to have a CEO of his caliber. On behalf of the Board and the entire La-Z-Boy organization, I thank him for his many contributions to the company and look forward to his continued leadership of our Board.”
About Melinda Whittington
Melinda D. Whittington joined La-Z-Boy in 2018 as CFO, bringing more than 30 years of experience to the role, where she leads the global finance and accounting team responsible for external reporting, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, internal audit, treasury, and risk management and the tax function. Before joining La-Z-Boy, Whittington served as CFO for Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, a publicly-traded, healthcare information technology solutions company. Before that, Whittington was SVP, Corporate Controller, and Chief Accounting Officer for Kraft Foods Group, Inc., one of North America’s largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies. There, she led a team of employees responsible for external reporting, shared accounting services, treasury, financial planning and analysis, overheads, and tax. From 1993 to 2014, Whittington held various finance leadership roles at The Procter and Gamble Company, including Finance Director, Global Home Products; Finance Director, Corporate Accounting; and Associate Finance Director for Global Business Services. Her roles included international experiences in Belgium and Costa Rica.
Whittington currently serves on the board of the YMCA of Monroe, Michigan, and is a member of the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council.
Melinda Whittington said, “I am honored by the opportunity to lead La-Z-Boy, with its rich and storied 94-year history and iconic brand. We have a solid platform from which to grow and prosper and a bright future ahead. Our team is proven, passionate and skilled, and we will capitalize on opportunities for future growth and innovation, including the build-out of our omnichannel presence while we help consumers turn their houses into homes. I would like to thank Kurt and the Board for placing their trust and confidence in me as I move into the CEO role and lead a company made up of people with extraordinary talent and dedication.”
She is a summa cum laude graduate of Ohio State University, earning her BS in business administration. She is also a certified public accountant.
About La-Z-Boy Incorporated
La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world’s leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home. The Wholesale segment includes England, La-Z-Boy, American Drew, Hammary, and Kincaid. The company-owned retail segment includes 158 of the 351 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores. Joybird is an e-commerce retailer and manufacturer of upholstered furniture.
The corporation’s branded distribution network is dedicated to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brands, and includes 351 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores and 563 independent Comfort Studio locations, in addition to in-store gallery programs for the company’s Kincaid and England operating units.
For more information: https://www.la-z-boy.com/
- Disclaimer - News, data, and statements included in this release are intended exclusively for general information purposes. Talent4Boards does not guarantee that news is accurate or about the correct person and accepts neither liability for the consequences of the reader’s reliance, nor responsibility for the accuracy of the information. Nothing in this release should be considered for decisions about referred securities. Products and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.